Monday, 14 May 2018

MAYNOOTH CONCERS

EVERY DAY I GET CONCERNED MESSAGES ABOUT MAYNOOTH SEMINARY AND FROM SOURCES WITHIN MAYNOOTH SEMINARY.

We are all aware of the big scandal that broke in 2016 with regard Maynooth and promiscuous homosexuality among some of its seminarians.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin acted in 2016 by removing his seminarians from Maynooth and sending them to The Irish College in Rome.

Since then two Dublin seminarians have left The Irish College - Deacon Michael "Gorgeous" Byrne and more recently Conor "Angel Wings" Gannon.

There are rumours that Gorgeous had joined the Gardai, did not like that profession. left and has asked Diarmuid Martin to consider taking him back into the priesthood. We have not been able to confirm these rumours and Gorgeous' whereabouts are currently unknown.

Last week there were several reports in the Irish media about the reasons for Conor Gannon's departure from The Irish College.

Over the weekend Mr. Gannon has declared that he left The Irish College of his own volition and not for the reported reasons and a number of Irish media outlets have received solicitor's letters.

Conor has said that his departure was related to an incident where too much alcohol had been consumed.

Conor and the other seminarian who left have asked both Archbishop Diarmuid Martin and the rector of The Irish College - Monsignor Ciaran O'Carroll - to release statements on the matter.

Archbishop Martin and Monsignor O'Carroll have refused to make those public statements.

One would have thought that the confusion could have been cleared up by these public statements from Martin and O'Carroll? Their refusal to make statements leaves the whole issue hanging in the air.

Meanwhile, things in Maynooth are continuing to cause concern among all those who care.

There is the allegation that Father Mullaney and Father Collins are not handling things well.

There is also the feeling that the new dean - Father Surlis is a good, spiritual man and is doing his best.

However, he is new and he is up against the "Old Guard".

FATHER TOMAS SURLIS

It was thought that Father Surlis would become the new "Rector" of the seminary?

My readers and contributors have highlighted particular concerns about FOUR seminarians:

Brendan Marshall of Armagh archdiocese

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Stephen Wilson of Armagh archdiocese

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Mark Moriarty of Kerry diocese

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Sean Hickey of Ossory diocese

I must add that the concerns expressed about Sean Hickey are that he is a genuine and innocent lad who has become vulnerable to others.

In fact, he took a little time out of Maynooth recently to think about how things were going.

In any event, I have written to the bishops involved with the hope that they will take necessary action.

But of that - I'm afraid experience tells me I might be wasting my time!

If you agree with Catholic schools manipulating students to destroy abortion rights then take your own advice. Fair play to ISSU for getting pro-life videos banned in schools. While ISSU is right that schools should be ideology free it makes no sense for the school to allow religion classes. Religion is not education for how can it be education when one school says God wrote the Koran and another one says he didn't but became Jesus? Organised religion is more political than it lets on and as part of the cultural fabric it will get a direct and indirect influence on the workings of the state. How is letting the Catholic Church which claims abortion is murder and that God forbids it have a say in the school and teach in it anything like neutral? Some people will vote against human rights just because they are told God says they must. Concerned about the pro-life videos shown in school? I'd be as concerned for how Jesus and the Church (like it or not) represent the "right" to malign women who avail of abortion treatment and their doctors who end the pregnancy as murders and who pretend the child to be is a murder victim brutally slaughtered. That is religious hate speech and needs to be flushed out of the schools. Some hate speech is passive aggressive and that is usually the kind the Church engages in with its desire to believe that those who refuse to repent of abortion will be punished forever at death. A faith that tolerates protests outside abortion clinics and harasses those availing of abortion healthcare should not be allowed in any school nor should its pope be invited to this country. There is no control over what that man might say and leave thousands of women who exercised their right to abortion wounded and devasted by his "abortion is murder" slander.

13.06: Go and look up the meaning of the word abortion, then you'll understand clearly that it's the deliberate taking of the life of the unborn child: i.e - killing/murder. Hardly healthcare!! Your comments are so skewed and crazy and all over the place, as to be almost unintelligible. Go and do proper research.

@17.23 It’s attitudes like yours that has made me want to vote YES. I wouldn’t have voted YES but I will do so because of arrogant, smug and self righteous zealots like you. Be proud of the fact you are forcing me and many like me to send you a message on Referendum day

I agree with Sean. If every semininarian who got drunk was dismissed there would be none left, apart from an occasional Pioneer. It's curious that the Irish Catholic is reporting that the two sems left voluntarily on the same day. What a coincidence. Why would you leave just before exams? Wouldn't the natural instinct be to see out the academic year.

As a matter of natural justice the Rector and Coddle need to make a statement to clear this up, one way or the other. I'm sure that Martin Long is advising this but the Irish bishops are so cussed they'll ignore him.

The lavender mafia in the church are the biggest deceivers that exist. No doubt they have rallied around the latest not so cunning ones to have provided the world with its latest glimpse of this massive cancer which is eviscerating the evangelical mission of the church in the 21st century.

There seems to be serious issues concerning Armagh Diocese as it continues to be in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Rome needs to step in sooner rather than later, Eamon Martin needs to be stood down until such an investigation is conducted as he’s clearly incapable. He is presiding over a dysfunctional Diocese, too many of his Seminarians and Priests can’t keep it in their pants and showing off the contents of those pants. It’s time to ditch the American Clinic, get real, get tough and get rid. If Amy is found to be incompetent (which he is) then get rid of him too.

I agree @09.54 I feel Eamon Martins position is fast becoming untenable. No statements made to the media, correspondence and emails ignored and where is he? He’s in one of Lourdes plushest hotels (paid for by pilgrims). He should be back in Armagh running his diocese and dealing with the mess that keeps growing and growing by the day. A number of Bishops from beyond Ireland have sent Priests in their place to lead Diocesan pilgrimages because they rather be in their own Dioceses dealing with pressing issues and problems. The man has his priorities all wrong.

I was told some years ago by an Armagh PP that the problem with Armagh is that previous and present Bishops spent too much time listening to and taking advice from all the old Canons. I think to a degree this is still happening, I wonder how many of them boring farts are with Eamon in Lourdes cosying up to him and giving him advice in his ear. They did with Cahal (the red hatted weasel) and Sean (the Wounded Healer). Amy Martin will be no exception.

Pat - the supposedly vulnerable and innocent seminarian is, according to another source online, around 30 years old and has led a youth pilgrimage to Medjugorje. If a man entered Maynooth straight from school, I'd understand the innocence and vulnerability, but I find it stange for a 29/30 year old man.

Absolutely, Pat. I guess my point or question is, should a man be admitted to seminary in the first place if he is vulnerable - so vulnerable that other seminarians are supposedly concerned about him? The priesthood today, as you know, is in a dreadful state - surely it's not a place for vulnerable and innocent men?

I pity poor Sean Hickey if he is reading this stuff. He's a private citizen and all sorts of assumptions are being made here by armchair experts pontificating about vulnerability and others being callous about his suitability for parish life.It can't be easy for a good-looking straight man in Maynooth, if he has attracted the attentions of the hedonistic gay lobby. It's easy to say that he should be able to deal with it - not so easy in the hothouse that is Maynooth with all that bitchy rivalry and back stabbing.Hickey is a fine fella. He's into Medgujorje, not my type of thing, but he is solid and a person of real faith. A good dose of theology will and experience will shave off some of the more conservative edges. I have friends who know him and I know that he entered Maynooth with the highest ideals. It would be a terrible pity if a good fella like him was driven out by some queeny bitches or the publicity on this blog.

Well said, Ossory mammy. Hickey has lots of admirers in Kilkenny city. He was very vocal in the campaign to prevent the new road and bridge running by the St Canice's cathedral. He has a sense of the heritage of the place and a sense of social justice. I heard him preach in Castlecomer one Sunday morning - very impressive - I agree with Mammy - he is into all that Youth 2000 stuff, but some experience and theology will nuance all of that and he'll be great. Be strong and have fortitude, Sean.

@20.36 I have had and continue to have gay sex with guys who have girlfriends and insist on claiming they are straight. Having a girlfriend or wife is no guarantee guys are straight these days and I can assure you of that. You would be amazed how many engaged or married fellas are having gay sex on the side.

@20.59 That's so true. Many many men with girlfriends and wives engage in gay sex. I shouldn't go into details here but they also explain why gay anal sex is better than sex with a woman. But the problem here on the blog is the assumption that Hickey must be vulnerable, or must be open to the advances of the gayboys in Gaynooth. These are only assumptions.There is a problem with gay priests and gay clerics in general, that being so used to getting their own way in parish life, they then shower attention on any good looking man who passes their way. We all do this to an extent, but one can be discreet with one's glances. A lot of gay priests think it's perfectly fine to stare and oogle a good-looking man, and then they wonder why he might glare back. It's not acceptable. Think if priests treated women the same way, there'd be hell to pay for it! But somehow it's fine to treat men as sex objects, pieces of eye candy for Father's delectation!

Was there not a case on the blog recently where a Mother complained her teenage Son wouldn’t go to Mass anymore because the young curate kept staring and glancing at him during Mass. I would believe this.

100% correct. I've been made to feel most uncomfortable by clerical eyes looking me up and down. I'm a good-looking footballer in my 20s and we all know when we are being "looked at". It happens too much in Mass, especially when we are all standing up, eg the Gospel or Our Father and the priest is staring at us.

Contradictory as it sounds, these priests are clearly not getting enough sex. If they had healthy sex lives they wouldn't be crossing these boundaries making their male parishioners feel uncomfortable. If celibacy isn't working and the sexual frustration is too much, why don't they do the honourable thing and quit the priesthood. They could always try living on the dole!

Our PP in Armagh diocese has young men from eastern Europe and other places staying often. We don't know where he picks up all these "friends" or if that's all they are. We worry because he might get beaten up some night if he brings home the wrong young man.

@10.3813.00 is correct FoI does not apply. However a data access request can be made to see what data they might hold on you and can be annoying for them to put together and review to ensure you are only getting your own data. Plus it can be fun to see what these guys hold onto. In my case they got rid of anything positive and had an entirely unbalanced file.

The older the records the more difficult the search. I did it and they couldnt get the records together within the required 40 days. A few people coordinating a data access would fluff them up nicely. Plus Maynooth get their solicitors to go through everything and bind it in solicitor branded folders just to have the appearance of a threat. This added element gave me a giggle. But they forgot to give me a copy of where I signed the college register so they failed to grant full disclosure.

@22.26 absolutely because I saw the positive stuff when I was there but they decided to remove it afterwards - probably because in the meanwhile I rightly accessed the Dignity at Work officer, just shortly before my director of formation's placement in Maynooth ended early.

10.33 I am still here the Papal Nuncio man and will continue to ask people to write to the Papal Nuncio or Cardinal Robert Sarah as Ireland must get rid of these sexual Priests and Seminarians as fast as possible.Archbishop Eamon Martin sending them to clinics days have well gone the rest of the UK is laughing at the unfit Archbishops and Bishops in Ireland.However I ask anyone who thinks an Archbishop or Bishop is not fit for the duty or to nominate people for the vacant sees then it is Cardinal Marc Outlett who would be delighted to hear from those with concerns.

10:57You say you were in religious life but didn’t clarify whether it was male or female.

I’d imagine it was the former since you wouldn’t have got away with poor syntax and poorer grammar if you had been a nun for any length of time.

I’d suggest you aim for just one improvement in your writing style and abilities per year.

So let’s begin for 2018: Use capital letters for proper nouns and small case for all other types (ordinary, abstract and collective).

You can use some of the commission you receive from the Royal Mail and An Post to purchase a basic English grammar.

As for your excessive curiosity about the sexual lives of everyone else I’d suggest rolling naked in a bed of nettles once a week until Advent and reading the new Missal ‘translation’ upside down. It might be more intelligible.

Kerry doesn’t seem to be blessed with good looking Seminarians. Puck and now Moriarty would be enough to put anyone of for life. Maybe that’s the answer, have more Sems like Puck and Moriarty and the others Sems would lose any urge never mind the will to live.

Everyone seems to have opinions about the Archbishops and Bishops but do not understand there is NO Crisis just a few problems needing sorted and they will soon.But there is NO use being keyboard wizards if EM, DM did not answer me then I would write to the Nuncio or HQ and they will address the issues but there is NO issues according to the Archbishops and Bishops it is just a few disgruntled people who cannot move on in life and really should.Then the bigger the Emails or post that the Nuncio gets then action can be taken if factual.EM will be Irelands next Cardinal.

Good to hear from you Holy Father @ 16.12. Truly honoured to know you will be creating Eamon Martin a Cardinal. In the meantime we can write not only to the Nuncio but Cardinal Oulett and RTÉ as well. Failing that we can go to plan B and contact Stephen Nolan - he has the biggest show in the country you know.

Because gay marriage is a civil matter. There’s no implication that someone who wishes that this right would be available in a civilised society would avail of that right for themselves. A stupid question.

22:09 You can look into the consciences of all who voted yes in the same-sex referendum to reach such a verdict?

Clearly a majority of those who voted yes are heterosexual and don’t intend on availing of the new constitutional right but do want to live in a democracy where that right is extended to all as a civil liberty.

You are entitled to your peevish pouting. But it wont get your cause very far.

I (a man) am married to my wife (a woman). We have neighbours with different experiences of marriage due to divorces, remarriage and gay marriage.

These neighbour's different experiences do no lower the value of the marriage I share with my wife. If anything remarrying and gay marriage adds to our marriage because our children may one day see these as routes to availing of the fulfillment of marriage.

21.18 - the choir director a "traditional Catholic"??? You must be having a laugh. Everything musically traditional has been dumped in recent years. These days in Maynooth you'll only hear Gregorian chant at a lunchtime concert!

22.06 I’d suggest you consult a dictionary first and then a theological dictionary.

A traditional Catholic is someone who accesses the tradition of the church. The Second Vatican Council reformed the church’s liturgy comprehensively. Traditional in the best sense and the purest sense means operating within the mind of the church - sentire cum ecclesia.

You seem to support the hijacking of the word traditional by Tridentinism.

Very wise. Good idea. Like the Orthodox in Greece and other places. And the Orthodox in Ireland who have day jobs and earn a salary and celebrate the sacraments as needed. Full time priesthood is one of the main causes of clericalism and all the sense of entitlement that goes with it. Its one thing being a full time monk, nun or religious, or even cleric in a big urban area. But who needs full time priests in rural parishes. This is a relatively modern thing in the big picture.

I have no idea who these lads are. And maybe some of them are not fit for the priesthood. But it must be absolutely dreadful for them to see their pictures in this blog and being talked about in this way.

The carry on between Mick Collins and Paul Prior was unusual. Timed walks and exact pacing of the walks. The coordination skills of the two was remarkable for example when prior would turn left or right Collins would automatically turn like a trained puppy.

An inherant anti-Christian comment to poke fun at your fellow Christian in such a childish manner. If you think the numbers so low you should consider a vocation to bring the Gospel to Scotland. But be warned, Scotland was quick to recognise Maynooth for what it is and stopped using it nearly immediately after they started.